


Wash It Away

by MoonlightShines (Thatkillervibe)



Series: "This is Home"- Killervibe Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Post 4x11, couch talks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 15:51:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13639407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatkillervibe/pseuds/MoonlightShines
Summary: Anon Prompt from Tumblr: Cait and Cisco could’ve died in last episode (4x11) and I agree with what you said. So maybe could you write that missing scene of them talking about it?~.~It was natural to come here. To reroute their destination to his apartment like old times, like they were back in 2013, and Caitlin and Cisco were normal and just two best friends chilling after work. It did look like that, with Caitlin in one of her sweats but his graphic tees, with towel dried hair, curled up on her side of his couch, lip bitten in concentration as she watched the local news. If Cisco squinted his eyes, ignored the tension building in Caitlin’s back, the way her steely amber eyes stared straight ahead, maybe he could pretend hard enough for it to be true.





	Wash It Away

Cisco handed Caitlin a cup of coffee as he sat across from her on his couch.    
  


He hadn’t even thought about sticking around for the cleanup, just breached Caitlin to his house the moment they were freed and out of sight. She took a shower the way she always did after a mission, using the shower gel from her own drawer of toiletries in Cisco’s bathroom. Cynthia questioned him about it once, no doubt suspicious, because yeah, he can see how that might be weird, a whole bunch of girl stuff that sits in his bathroom, including a box of tampons under his sink, that doesn’t belong to his girlfriend. Cindy’s expression was undecipherable for a short while after he explained it, but eventually seemed fine with it, never bringing it up again.    
  


Caitlin decomposing at his apartment after stressful days was a longtime unspoken thing. Cisco lived closest to Star Labs, and the three of them (Ronnie, definitely not Hartley) used to crash in his living room after several boxes of pizza.    
  


When Barry came along, after Iris found out about The Flash– God, that felt like decades ago– the West household became the go-to place, Joe snoozing on his recliner as the rest sat silently inhaling food and relishing in each other’s comfort.

  
But Barry isn't here. It felt wrong, going to the Wests, sitting in Barry’s childhood home when he was behind bars. Besides, Joe had Cecile now, and Harry was a hermit.

  
So it was natural to come here. To reroute their destination to his apartment like old times, like they were back in 2013, and Caitlin and Cisco were normal and just two best friends chilling after work. It did look like that, with Caitlin in one of her sweats but his graphic tees, with towel dried hair, curled up on her side of his couch, lip bitten in concentration as she watched the local news. If Cisco squinted his eyes, ignored the tension building in Caitlin’s back, the way her steely amber eyes stared straight ahead, maybe he could pretend hard enough for it to be true.   
  


Caitlin looked up from the muted news channel as CCTV reels the commentary of Trickster’s capture and thanked him demurely.    
  


“Hey,” Cisco said, fiddling with his own cup, “you okay?”    
  


Caitlin nodded then shrugged, but didn’t meet his eyes.    
  


“I know we were very recently almost killed by Teletubby custard, but seriously Cait, what’s up?”    
  


Caitlin’s mouth twitched upwards at that, like that was funny and she  _ wanted _ to smile the way he knows she does, but doesn’t want to admit it. 

 

She turned the TV off completely with the remote wedged between them, before glancing at him. She sighed heavily, took a big sip of coffee then muttered, “I was scared,” to her mug, like maybe if she said it quiet enough to her coffee, Cisco wouldn’t hear her.    
  


“So was I,” Cisco responded quickly. Caitlin looked up.

 

“I mean, you’d think that’s normal, we were almost melted live on television waiting for  _ Ralph _ to save us.”

  
“It’s not even that really,” Caitlin said. 

  
Cisco waited for her to continue.   
  


“Are you really going to make me say it?” She snapped.    
  


A lot of their serious conversations veered into this tone, nowadays.   
  


Caitlin, annoyed at herself (or Killer Frost, which is more frustrating, he supposes, because how do you solve a problem with someone you can’t even talk to?) and Cisco, finding himself annoyed at Caitlin for being hard on herself. It was an unsatisfying loop of aggravation.    
  


“I can’t read your mind,” He said calmly.    
  


That made Caitlin shrink in on herself. She was kind of wanting him to snap back at her, to get her upset so she could Killer Frost her way out of this. A technique she recently–conveniently, Cisco may add– acquired when she wasn’t in the mood for emotionally compromising talks. But he knew this. Just like he knew how to get her to turn the Killer Frost switch on when they needed her, he knew how to deflect from accidentally flipping the switch when they didn’t.    
  


“Sorry,” she said in a voice very small. 

  
“S’okay,” he promised, giving her time. 

  
It took another five minutes for Caitlin to talk again.   
  


“When we walked into there, I was Killer Frost. And you all talk about how cool she is, how badass. You like her.”   
  


_ Oh Ralph _ , Cisco chastised mentally, he knew that thing he said bothered Caitlin more than she let on,  _ you and your big polymer mouth, look what you’ve done. _

__  
“We like you more,” Cisco insisted.    
  


“Maybe, but you still like her.”    
  


It was the way she said it. The accusatory tone in her otherwise plainly said statement that made Cisco want to pull his hair out. The way she made Cisco feel like he was  _ cheating _ on her for not hating Killer Frost. As if, he didn’t put all his effort into getting along with Killer Frost  _ because _ she was Caitlin, even in all of the ways she’s not.    
  


Caitlin took another sip of coffee before shifting around to sit crossed legged in front of Cisco.    
  


“The point is, I guess, that when Killer Frost walked in there, she wasn’t scared, right?” 

 

Her eyes were imploring, intense. Soul searching, maybe. Like no matter what he replied, wouldn’t be enough.    
  


Cisco couldn’t vouch for Killer Frost, he barely understood how her mind worked, he didn’t have the years of experience like he did Caitlin, but he did know Caitlin, better than himself maybe, and she wanted validation from him about her alter ego. That was difficult, because Killer Frost isn’t the same careful, considerate, beautiful doctor that he adores so much.    
  


“Just because she may act tough doesn’t mean she’s completely fearless, Caitlin,” he found himself saying.   
  


Caitlin frowned, “I know, that wasn’t really what I meant.”   
  


“Then?” He prompted.

  
She bent down to place her empty mug on his carpet, then buried her face in her hands and groaned.    
  


“This is going to sound so twisted,” She said, muffled by her hands.    
  


Cisco’s eyebrows shot up with sudden amusement, “I won’t judge.” 

  
She raised her head to look at him.

  
“I’m glad the chairs had power inhibitors,” she admitted.   
  


“ _ What _ ?” Cisco said.    
  


“I don’t want to die as Killer Frost, Cisco. I was thankful, in a way, that if that was the end, at least I was in my own mind, and with you.”    
  


Oh God. There was so much to unpack from that.    
  


Cisco didn’t know what to say.

  
“I’ll never let you die on my watch,” Cisco promised, “Never again.”    
  


Caitlin lowered her eyes, “I’m sorry,” she said.    
  


“Don’t apologize,” Cisco said, firmly, smacking his hand over his forehead at the absurdity of her even trying to do this, muttering in a select few curse words in Spanish before all but yelling, “Oh my  _ god _ Caitlin, only you would try to say sorry for  _ dying _ , don’t you dare!”    
  


Caitlin’s cheeks went pink, “Okay,” she allowed, but was not willing to finish the arguing, “but you can’t make that kind of promise, Cisco, you can’t prevent me from death.”    
  


“Would you let me die?” Cisco said, scooting closer to her, mimicking her cross legged position so that their socked feet and knees were now touching. “Has there ever been a time you weren’t sure I couldn’t be saved? That you weren’t certain that somehow, deep in your gut you knew, that as long as you were around, I would be safe?”   
  


Caitlin looked at him wide eyed, “No.”   
  


Cisco leaned back, brushing his hair back from his face with his hand.   
  


“That’s funny,” he said, blinking up at the ceiling, “because in all of the encounters I’ve had with her, no matter the bark or bite, at the end of the day, when it really mattered, Killer Frost didn’t either.” 

  
Cisco turned his head to Caitlin, watching her silently as she stared back at him, her face slowly giving into a sweet, honest smile. 

  
“Cisco Ramon, you are my favourite person in the world,” Caitlin sighed, letting herself fall sideways until her head was resting against his shoulder. 

  
Cisco stroked her damp hair and kissed her forehead, letting her lean into his side, so thankful that no matter what happened, how hard things turned, he still had her, that they still had this.    
  


“Only this world?” Cisco joked as he picked up the remote to flick the TV back on.    
  


Caitlin tilted her head up at him to stick her tongue out playfully.   
  


And yeah, suddenly it was just like 2013, just the two of them. Her doing that had Cisco’s stomach flip funny, the image so familiar, Caitlin so carefree.    
  


Except, it’s not. It’s 2018.    
  


They may be very different from who they used to be. A whole timeline of changes, shifts and breakaways from what they thought used to be and should be normal.

  
But as long as she’s here, as long as they’re both here together, that’s okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Send me a prompt @thatkillervibe  
> !!


End file.
